The invention herein relates to the forming of a knuckle and spindle unit by separately forming a tubular elongated spindle, forging a steering knuckle and thereafter, welding the spindle and knuckle together to form an integral unit.
In the past, steering knuckle and spindle units for automotive steering assemblies have been made by a one-piece forging or casting. Since the forging or casting is not dimensionally accurate, considerable machining for accurate sizing was necessary. Thereafter, various additional machining steps were performed to provide appropriate bores and recesses in the knuckle to receive the king pin and the brake parts.
Hence, the invention herein relates to a simplified process for forming an integral steering knuckle and spindle unit by separately forming each part and then joining them by welding. Separately forming the spindle permits the spindle to be cold formed as a hollow tube substantially of the desired size and stronger than a forged spindle. Also, the use of a hollow spindle provides a conduit to receive the wires for non-skid disc brakes, front wheel drive, and for better cooling. Forging the knuckle as a separate part provides greater flexibility in the selection of forging techniques and also provides a smaller part for the machining and boring operations. Thus, the present invention provides an integral steering knuckle-spindle unit which is considerably less costly, quicker and more accurate to produce.